Report: Illegal sex economy valued at $103M in Washington

There’s a new price tag on the world’s oldest profession. A new study by The Urban Institute estimates that, in 2007, the entire illegal sex economy in Washington – including brothels, escort services and dubious massage parlors – was valued at $103 million.

Among the other seven U.S. cities included in the report, which was funded by the Department of Justice, Atlanta’s sex economy was valued the highest at $290 million, while Denver had the smallest sex trade market with underground activity estimated at about $40 million.

The study collected information in the cities of San Diego, Seattle, Dallas, Denver, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Atlanta, and Miami.